Training Athletes in Professional, Amateur and Fitness Boxing Classes in Seattle, WA, Arcaro Boxing Gym is Located in the Cherry Hill / First Hill / Central District area adjacent to the Seattle University Campus. First boxing class or boxing lesson is always free!

Patterns are everything. In Everyday actions we rely completely on Patterns. How we park our cars, where we put our keys, how we brush our teeth……

We typically do these patterns with little awareness—they are so easy and smooth to do that it takes no effort. Boxers do the same thing in the ring. They twitch their head to the side if they get hit clean. After a combination, they step back, hop up and down twice then begin again. There are all kinds of patterns like above that boxers do without knowing.

Trying to correct patterns was one approach I took when I first started coaching. Always correcting, always asking the boxer to do something different…..it was futile…they always did the pattern. Sometimes they did it even more.

What was it that I really wanted?

I wanted them to know what they were doing so they could use it. This “a-ha” moment started me down the track of a couple different approaches.

1. Do the pattern on purpose–Use it in specific Drills accenting the pattern

2. Identify the opposite version of the pattern

3. Take one part of the pattern rather than the entire thing and do the opposite move

Correcting shuts down and causes a lot of tension. Adding to your patterns gives you options, creativity, freedom, more weapons in your arsenal, the ability to assess on the move and a lot more awareness. Plus, it makes your original pattern even more effective.